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Velvet Ant Or Cow Killer [365] 444 Cherrycreek Road, Suite A | Lincoln, NE 68528 | 402-441-7180 | http://lancaster.unl.edu Velvet Ant or Cow Killer [365] Jody Green Extension Educator All velvet ants belong to the family Mutillidae and have a dense pile of hair of a variety of striking colors that serve as a warning signal to potential predators. They can be found Photos: UNL Dept. of Entomology Jim Kalisch, worldwide, but in Nebraska, the most In Nebraska, the most common Only females have stingers (female common velvet ant is the cow killer velvet ant is the cow killer ant shown magnified). They only sting if ant, Dasymutilla occidentalis. They are (female shown magnified). provoked. commonly found during the summer months wandering around the yard in same species because their physical On the Schmidt’s sting pain index urban landscapes and open areas like appearance differ greatly. which ranks and describes insects pastures. based on one scientists evaluation of Biology stinging insects, it is ranked 3 out of 4 Ant or Wasp? Unlike social wasps, such as (4 is most painful). Therefore, they can This insect is not an ant, but rather yellow jackets and paper wasps that inflict an excruciating sting if handled a wasp. The females do not have wings, live in a central nest with a great or stepped on, which is why they are so they look like ants. Not to worry number of individuals working called cow killers. As far as we know, though, ants and wasps are in the same together, velvet ants are solitary wasps. no cow has ever died from a sting. The order, so they do happen to share a fair Males fly in search of females to mate. sting may be painful, but the venom is number of characteristics. It does not The mated female will enter a ground not very toxic. possess a node (or two) on the waist, nesting bee or wasp nest, and lay eggs Despite their massive defenses, which is characteristic of all ants. on or near the other insect’s larva. velvet ants are not aggressive. If you They are parasitoids because their see velvet ants around your home, no Description larvae emerge and feed on the host’s need to worry. Just leave them alone. The female cow killer ant is a larvae, killing them. Adult velvet ants No control measures are necessary and large, hairy, wingless wasp that resem- feed on nectar. they are not an indoor pest. bles a worker ant. They can be up to 3/4" long with a black body covered Defenses FOR MORE with coarse and bright reddish-or- The female cow killer, though INFORMATION ange hair on the head, thorax and grounded, has many defenses. Besides • Mutillidae identification key:http:// entnemdept.ufl.edu/creatures/misc/ abdomen. The males are larger wither bright warning colors and squeaking wasps/mutillidae.htm dark brown wings and different color warning sound, they are quick movers, • Schmidt’s sting pain index: www. patterns on its body. have a very strong exoskeleton and atlasobscura.com/articles/the- Both male and female velvet can release smelly odors. In addition, colorful-pain-index-of-the-stinging- ants produce a squeaking or chirping females are capable of delivering a ants-bees-and-wasps-around-the- world sound when alarmed. It is often very painful sting. Females have a • Velvet ant defenses: www.bbc.com/ difficult to determine whether large stinger which is a modified earth/story/20151014-superpowers- male and female specimens are the egg-laying organ called the ovipositor. of-the-near-invincible-velvet-ant Copyright ©2017 Extension is a Division of the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln cooperating with the Counties and the United States Department of Agriculture. University of Nebraska–Lincoln Extension educational programs abide with the nondiscrimination policies of the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and the United States Department of Agriculture..
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